City Action Targets

Unsafe Buildings

CORAL SPRINGS — The city now has the power to demolish unsafe buildings.

Officials have had few options when dealing with buildings riddled with structural defects.

But city commissioners on Tuesday approved a new law creating a minimum housing code and an Unsafe Structures Board. The board will be able to declare buildings unsafe and order them torn down.

Before, the city put liens on buildings, but that was often ineffective, especially when the buildings were in foreclosure, officials say.

The Unsafe Structures Board will be appointed by the City Commission and will have nine members: an engineer, an architect, a general contractor, an electrical contractor, an attorney, a plumbing contractor, a real estate appraiser, a real estate property manager and a city resident.